Finding ways to maximize the harvesting of solar power is quite possibly the most important step in moving towards a more sustainable future. However, space on which to place these PV cells is scarce, especially when it comes to urban rooftops. The Brooklyn, NY-based firm SolarWorks have found a working solution to this problem. In collaboration with another Brooklyn-based firm, Situ Studio, they created solar canopies that will fit on almost any roof. (more…)

The company Greenmoxie of Toronto, Canada recently unveiled a sustainable tiny home, which can withstand even the harsh conditions of a Canadian winter. The home is cozy on the inside, and looks like a quaint cabin from the outside. It also features a unique drawbridge deck, which extends the living area very nicely.

The home is 30 ft long, 8.5 ft wide and 13.5 ft high (9 m by 2.6 m by 4m), which yields 340 sq ft (31.6 sq m) of interior space. It was built using reclaimed and salvaged materials, including wood from a demolished old barn. The interior was left as open as possible, with the sofa and shelving placed close to the walls instead of cluttering up the central space. The home also features an RV-style table surface, which can be used as a dining table or a coffee table. (more…)

European cities are even more densely populated than US ones, and finding a place that’s comfortable and all your own can sometimes be quite a challenge. Garden sheds are a popular solution to this conundrum. The one pictured above was designed by architect Tjeerd Bloothoofd of the Dutch firm Bloot Architecture. It is located near The Hague, in the Netherlands, and it is a very modern and ingeniously designed tiny studio. (more…)

A large part of the appeal of tiny homes lies in the unique design that these bite-sized dwellings offer. And the so-called Moon Dragon, recently created by the tiny home designer Zyl Vardos of Olympia, Washington is certainly one of the more imaginative and unique small homes we’ve seen in a long time. It looks like something from a fairytale, and can function completely independently of the grid. (more…)

It seems like shipping container architecture is getting a revival of sorts, despite all the drawbacks and criticisms of this form of architecture. These include the fact that containers are just too narrow, as well as too toxic to be suitable for people to live in. They also need a lot of reinforcing once you start cutting them up to create windows or join them together to make bigger homes. With the latter there is also the question of whether all the work required doesn’t actually eliminate most of the sustainability of this type of architecture. However, a lot of people still love the simplicity and minimalism of shipping container homes, and one such is certainly Shane Blind of New Zealand. He recently completed his shipping container home which is pictured above and which at first glance does not appear to be made out of a container at all. (more…)

Our forbearers used what was on hand to build their homes and shelters, and striving for a more sustainable world inevitably means that we have to get back to those basics. A great example of doing just that is the so-called Casa Candaleria, which was designed by Cherem Arquitectos. It is located near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and was built using primarily the earth on which it stands. (more…)